Element #94

Plutonium

actinide solid Discovered 1940

244 Atomic Mass (u)

640 C Melting Point

3228 C Boiling Point

19.816 g/cm3 Density

1.28 Electronegativity

[Rn] 5f6 7s2 Electron Config

7 Period

3 Group

📖 About Plutonium

A man-made element first produced in 1940 at Berkeley. Pu-239 is fissile and the primary material in nuclear weapons. It is also produced in uranium reactors and can be used as fuel. Plutonium-238 generates heat through radioactive decay and powers long-duration space probes like Voyager, New Horizons, and the Mars Curiosity rover via radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs).

🔧 Uses and Applications

Nuclear weapons (Pu-239 fissile core)
MOX nuclear fuel (mixed with uranium)
RTG power sources for deep space probes
Plutonium-238 heaters for Mars rovers
Future fast breeder reactor fuel

💡 Did You Know?

Fact: Plutonium-238 does not undergo fission but generates heat through alpha decay. NASA uses it in radioisotope thermoelectric generators: the Mars Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, Cassini, New Horizons, and Voyager probes are all powered by plutonium-238, some running for over 40 years.